RAJBIRAJ, NOVEMBER 23

Stakeholders today demanded that restrictions imposed along the Nepal-India border be eased to facilitate people’s movement, in Rajbiraj, Saptari.

Speaking at an interaction held by District Coordination Committee Saptari in Rajbiraj, Nepal-India Youth Friendly Association Chair Kishor Kumar Yadav said that prolonged sealing of the Nepal-India border had led to black marketing and people on the Nepali side had to suffer. He demanded that the border be opened as early as possible to facilitate people’s movement.

Ever since the border was sealed, people were crossing the border secretly and the restrictions imposed had only tightened vehicular movement, said Yadav.

“People are crossing the borer point while only vehicles are halted. The sealed border has affected revenue collection as well,” he said.

Province 2 Senior Citizens Association Chair Shankar Kumar Sharada said the border seal had adversely affected wedding ceremonies between Nepalese and Indians. “It is futile to continue sealing the border,”

Sharada said. He demanded that restrictions on people’s movement at the border be eased immediately.

Rajgadh Rural Municipality Chief Parmanand Yadav stressed the need to open the border as the risk of COVID-19 spread was diminishing.

“Farmers are hit hard as they have not been able to buy chemical fertilisers from India,” Yadav said.

Provincial lawmaker Netra Bikram Sah and House of Representatives members Chandrakant Chaudhary and Dularidevi Khang pledged to draw the government’s attention to the need to reopen the border.